A remote connection and/or disconnection of tubular members, such as encountered in oil/gas wells, presents a major problem in the event the connection or disconnection must be made downhole. Various types of ratcheting and/or threaded connectors have been suggested such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,849,245 and 4,607,865 for making such connections. Such devices use a spring connector having threads which may ratchet over and be threadably connected to a tubular member and which is then backed up and locked in place by locking shoulders. However, such structures generally carry the load between the upper and lower tubular members by an end shoulder.
The present invention is directed to a ratcheting and threaded well connector which provides a balanced load distribution arrangement between the upper and lower tubular members to provide the strongest connection possible and also allows the spring connector element to have a minimum thickness for providing a connection in a smaller radial distance with strength comparable to a conventional threaded type connection.